Former classmate of Darion Aguilar: He was quiet but seemed happy

The Prince George's County Police Department said it received a missing persons report for the accused shooter in the fatal Columbia Mall shooting. The development comes as those who knew him search for clues as to why he did what he did.

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Police say Darion Aguilar, 19, of College Park, walked into the Columbia Mall and shot and killed two people before turning the gun on himself.

After officers were called to Aguilar's mother's home, they started to actively search for the 19-year-old, tracking his cellphone, which ultimately led them to the Mall in Columbia. At that time, the report was handed over to the Howard County Police Department, which was already investigating the shooting.

Police said they eventually were able to confirm that the man reported missing in Prince George's County was the deceased shooter.

Very little about Aguilar stands out. By all accounts, he was a young man who stayed under the radar with no criminal record and little trace of him on social media.

The 11 News I-Team has learned Aguilar fired four shots that hit the victims and fired at least two other shots before shooting and killing himself.

A man who only wanted to be identified as Chris told 11 News he was in the store during the shooting and saw Aguilar come out of a dressing room and walk toward Benlolo.

"I didn't see the shotgun that second, but I saw him raise it up, take a few steps toward the girl, Brianna, take aim and shoot her in her upper body or her head," Chris said.

He said he got down on the floor behind the counter, and 10 seconds later, he heard the shot that police said killed Johnson. Chris said he crawled out of the store and ran away yelling, "shooter."

"(Aguilar) was just silent. Focused. There was no sort of expression or emotion," he remembered.

More details on shooter's past emerge

Aguilar has a 20-year-old sibling. His mother filed for divorce from his father in Prince George's County court in November, but the two had been separated since 1999 when Aguilar was 4, 11 News learned.

Aguilar attended Four Seasons Elementary School in Anne Arundel County from 2004 to 2006. He went to Arundel Middle School for the 2006-2007 school year.

For five years, the Aguilar family lived on a quiet Silver Spring cul-de-sac. That neighborhood is off U.S. Route 29 about 15 miles from the Mall in Columbia.

For the past year, the Aguilars lived in College Park, where Aguilar worked at a nearby Dunkin' Donuts.

Dunkin' Donuts confirmed that Aguilar worked at one of its restaurants, releasing a statement saying, "We are aware of the tragic incident that occurred involving Darion Marcus Aguilar, a former Dunkin' Donuts crew member at the restaurant located at 10260 Baltimore Ave. in College Park, Md. We are deeply saddened by the incident that occurred at the Columbia Mall. Our thoughts remain with the families of the victims during this difficult time. The franchise owner will fully cooperate with the Howard County Police Department in their ongoing investigation, and further inquiries should be directed to the police."

The College Park house is just four blocks from the home of victim Brianna Benlolo. Investigators are checking whether that allowed the shooter and victim in any way to cross paths before Saturday's shooting.

A Rockville gun shop confirmed on Monday that Aguilar bought the Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun used in the shooting in December and that Aguilar passed the background check easily with no red flags.

Former classmate: He was quiet but seemed happy

Meanwhile, investigators have spoken to the gunman's family and friends and still haven't pinpointed a clear explanation for why he did what he did, but a former classmate shed some light on what type of young man he was.

Former classmate Tydryn Scott talked to 11 News about when she found out Aguilar was the gunman. She said it was the last thing she would've ever expected.

Despite revelations by police that Aguilar had written in his journal about being unhappy, his former classmate said she remembers him as being a happy yet quiet guy who was always surrounded by friends.

Scott said she's struggling with trying to figure out whether or not there were any red flags.

"I question why, because like I said, I never saw him in anything negative. I've never seen him walk around school sad. Some kids at school are sad -- they drag around and they mope -- but he was never one to mope. He was just always timid," she said.

The former classmate said she last saw Aguilar at their graduation. She said she couldn't think of any obvious connection between him and the skateboard shop where the shooting happened.

REPORTING LIVE, BARRY SIMMS. THANK YOU. THE 11 NEWS I-TEAM HAS BEEN LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE SHOOTER. A VERY LITTLE KNOWN. JAYNE MILLER IS LIVE IN COLUMBIA WITH THAT PART OF THE STORY. A MOTIVE IS WHAT EVERYONE IS LOOKING FOR. WHAT IT REALLY IS IS A SEARCH FOR SOMETHING TO MAKE SENSE. BY ALL ACCOUNTS, DARION AGUILAR STAYED UNDER THE RADAR. LITTLE TRACE OF HIM ON SOCIAL MEDIA. WHAT SET OFF HIS PUBLIC ACT OF VIOLENCE? HE TOOK A PISTOL GRIP SHOT INTO THE COLUMBIA MALL AND USED IT TO KILL 21-YEAR-OLD BRIANNA BENLOLO AND HER COWORKER TYLER JOHNSON INSIDE THE ZUMIEZ SKATE SHOP. WE HAVE LEARNED HE FIRED FOUR SHOTS THAT HIT THE VICTIMS AND TWO OTHERS BEFORE SHOOTING AND KILLING HIMSELF. I AM ASKING THE CHIEF THE SAME QUESTIONS. HE IS ASKING THE DETECTIVES THE SAME QUESTIONS ON AN ONGOING BASIS. WE HAVE LEARN THE DEBT TELL -- WE HAVE LEARNED NEW DETAILS. HIS MOTHER AND HIS FATHER HAD BEEN SEPARATED SINCE 1999 WHEN HE WAS JUST FOUR. HE HAS A 20-YEAR-OLD SIBLING. HE ATTENDED FOUR SEASONS ELEMENTARY IN ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY. HE WENT TO ANNE ARUNDEL MIDDLE SCHOOL FOR 2006-2000 SEVEN SCHOOL YEAR. FOR FIVE YEARS THEY LIVED ON A QUIET SILVER SPRING COLDER SET. THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS OFF -- CUL DE SAC. THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS OFF THE COLUMBIA MALL. THE HOUSE IS JUST FOUR BLOCKS FROM THE COLLEGE PARK HOME THE VICTIM BRIANNA BENLOLO. THEY ARE CHECKING WHETHER THAT ALLOWED THE SHOOTER IN VICTIM IN ANY WAY TO CROSS PATHS BEFORE SATURDAY SHOOTING. A GUN DEALER SAID THAT AGUILAR PAID $430 CASH FOR THE SHOTGUN IN DECEMBER. THE DEALER SAID THERE'S NO REASON TO SUSPECT ANYTHING WAS WRONG. HE WAS POLITE. HE HAD ANOTHER MAN WITH HIM. BOTH WERE POLITE. THEY WERE VERY PLEASANT AT THE TIME OF THE GUN PURCHASE. HE SAID AGUILAR SAID HE NEEDED THE GUN FOR HOME PROTECTION FOR